2024 MLB thread

[draynay]

It's five years old, it just hasn't been renamed in two.

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A year after they DFA'd Pujols while still owing him $30mil the Angels have now DFA'd Justin Upton while owing him $28mil.

Angels are paying guys a lot of money to fuck off.

Before that was Josh Hamilton, hopefully Rendon can be a better than replacement player on his huge contract. It's no wonder the Angels are so bad even with a pair of MVPs.

[Vetali]

Works for us, I guess.

Roster is pretty much set aside from maybe a few relievers and waiting to see if they screw things up and stick Julio in Tacoma for a month and a half like Kelenic last year.

[PhaelixWW]

@xskarma Can we please get a thread name-change for the 2022 season? And maybe a link on the OP to this page?

[xskarma]

This is the start of the 2022 MLB Season.

Good luck everyone!

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@xskarma Can we please get a thread name-change for the 2022 season? And maybe a link on the OP to this page?

Done! Good luck, all.

[PhaelixWW]

So MLB is potentially going to let catchers relay the pitch via some Captain Marvel armband thing that will send its signals to earpieces for select players. This one is interesting from my POV as someone could potential hack the opposing teams system and it’s actually easier than their previous methods of sign stealing.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...on-sources-say

Just requires someone hacking the system. Which isn’t unheard of with MLB.

I mean, it would be trivial to make this un-hackable, really. The data can be encrypted.

[draynay]

I wouldn't be concerned except we know the league would give the softest penalty possible and we already know their are assholes in the league that will justify any degree of cheating.

[draynay]

Rob Manfred has successfully bridged the gap between players and owners and perfectly mended labor relations by writing players a note and giving them free headphones. I hear when its time for the next CBA they can expect a pizza party.

[Vetali]

Apparently Ichiro threw a 93.5 mph first pitch which is one of the fastest ceremonial first pitch throws ever. #baseball

[Rennadrel]

I find it humorous that the talking heads in baseball have the AL East so tight and their record predictions seem off. While I might be an unabashed Jays fan since birth, there's no way they aren't a 100+ win team with the roster as it sits right now. As the pitching gets rolling (which it is, and Romano has 5 saves already this year), they'll win a lot more than they lose. Also, there's no way Vlad Jr doesn't hit at least 60 home runs this year. The Yankees have mediocre contracts that they can't keep on the field and the Rays are once again looking like a meh team to start the year.

[PhaelixWW]

I find it humorous that the talking heads in baseball have the AL East so tight and their record predictions seem off. While I might be an unabashed Jays fan since birth, there's no way they aren't a 100+ win team with the roster as it sits right now. As the pitching gets rolling (which it is, and Romano has 5 saves already this year), they'll win a lot more than they lose. Also, there's no way Vlad Jr doesn't hit at least 60 home runs this year. The Yankees have mediocre contracts that they can't keep on the field and the Rays are once again looking like a meh team to start the year.

Bold assumptions here.

Only 112 teams out of 127 seasons have won 100+ games. (Admittedly, we've had a recent surge, with 13 of those teams doing so in the last 4 full seasons.) And hitting 60+ home runs in a season has only happened 8 times, by 5 players in the history of the sport. It hasn't been done since Bonds set the record at 73 in 2001. Last year, Vlad Jr. only missed one game, but hit only 48 home runs. 60+ would be a huge increase in performance.

Saying "they have a decent shot" is one thing, but saying "there's no way it doesn't happen" is... quite another.

Also, you realize that saves are not automatically the greatest determiner of record, because saves require the score to be within striking distance at the end. Most teams with a great record will end up having a lot of saves, sure, but not always the highest. In 2019, for example, the Astros and the Padres both had 47 saves, tied for 5th highest (highest was 52), but the Astros were 107-55 and the Padres were 70-92 on the year. In 2017, the 80-82 Rays had the second most saves at 53, just above the third place 104-58 Dodgers at 51. The same year, the 102-60 Indians were 17th with only 37 saves.

I'd also point out that all 5 of the Jays' wins have been saves, meaning that they've only had close games or losses. And they have a negative run differential so far, as well.

Seems like a bit of blind optimism to me.

[draynay]

Toronto has never won 100 games, I question your expertise in recognizing them as a 100 win team when you've never seen one before. I don't find any reason to believe the East won't be close again when 3 teams were separated by 1 game last year.

I assume they will be good, contend for the divisional title, and have as good a chance as any other non-Baltimore team of winning it. Isn't Guerrero on pace for 100 homers right now? Why not predict that if you're going to be drawing these conclusions in the second week of the season.

[Gestopft]

Ty France is just a HBP magnet.

[PhaelixWW]

Isn't Guerrero on pace for 100 homers right now? Why not predict that if you're going to be drawing these conclusions in the second week of the season.

I think he jinxed him, because Guerrero hasn't hit a home run since. He's now on pace for 43 home runs this season.

[draynay]

MLB finally makes a decision on Bauer, 324 game/two year suspension.

[ProphetFlume]

Idk how to feel about the whole thing. A day after i see his defamation suit they drop the hammer. It’s interesting they can dole out so much punishment without proof but I can’t decide if that’s a good thing for not relying on legal results to do what’s right or too much power for an employer without anything concrete.

[Vetali]

I haven't followed it too closely since the initial allegations, but it seems like they took the NFL approach of making the suspension long so they can dial it back for the appeal.

[Gestopft]

Wondering if anyone can confirm...Albert Pujols is the only active player to have been in the league when the Mariners last made the playoffs?

[PhaelixWW]

Wondering if anyone can confirm...Albert Pujols is the only active player to have been in the league when the Mariners last made the playoffs?

Yessir, 2001.

Not that I'm going to shift my allegiances, but I wouldn't mind the opportunity to root for my new home team. Haven't had a real reason to, so far.

[Vetali]

Its what happens when you bank on a season filled with generally good luck and a negative run differential. Then you hardly spend any money after losing the Seager contract. I am mostly fine with the SP rotation. The bullpen is ass piss and the lineup is just completely fucked without Haniger and Tom Murphy. They've passed on way too many guys banking on injury prone players. This has been the first time in a loooong time where I am not actively watching them. They look worse than 2019 these past few weeks.

[PhaelixWW]

Oof. The Blue Jays just gave up a 10th inning, tie game, two out, two strike, walk-off grand slam.

I can't help noting that, just over a quarter of the way through the regular season, Toronto is on pace for an 85-win season and Guerrero is on pace for 27 HRs.

Apropos of nothing, of course.